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Butternut squash -- heralded as a harbinger of fall, of the turn from bright summer berries to decorative gourds and homely root vegetables -- has perhaps lost a bit of its thrill as we find ourselves in the doldrums of winter produce. We've loved it since it resurfaced in October, but now our peelers are dulling and our CSAs seem to apologize for their predictable haul of oranges and browns.

But the trusty butternut wants you to remember that it's a winter squash, and it's here to keep working for you. Full of surprises, it cozies up with miso, crisps into herbed chips, and swirls into a hummus doppelganger. Here are (almost) a dozen ideas to help you rekindle your romance at the farmers' market.

Comments (3)

Easy way to fix this hard to peel winter squash - - - bake it in the oven whole, on a jelly roll pan, or a 9x13 cake pan.Put on your oven mitt, 'squish it' - if it squishes easily, it's done. Now (easily) cut in half lengthwise and 'scoop out' the good part, I use a teaspoon, leaving the seeds in, to be added with the shell to your compost pile.